Wagon-jack



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES DOUGLAS, OF HEBRON, CONNECTICUT.

WAGON-J ACK.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,170, dated November 22, 1859.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAs. DOUGLAS, of Hebron, in the county of Tolland and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wagon-Jacks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a perspective view, and Fig. 2, is a vertical section of a wagon-jack ernbracing my improvement.

A, is the body of the instrument, which I shall call the stock. This is bored out hollow, from end to end, and framed perpendicularly upon the base C, is a round rod with ferrules on the ends, which is made to slide up and down in the bore of the stock (A).

E, is a lever, the lower end of which passes through a perpendicular slot in the stock (A), and into a slot in the bottom of the rod (C), where it is pivoted to said rod with a pin (a, Fig. 2).

D, is a metal plate which I will call a ratchet-plate. This is secured to the slotted side of the stock (A) and has in it a corresponding slot sufiiciently large to admit the lever On the inner surface there is a row of teeth (ci) on each side of the slot.

F, is a pawl, which has a projection, or ear (f) on each side that catches upon the teeth (ci) of the ratchet-plate (D). The upper end of this pawl, passes out through the slot in the ratchet-plate (D), and is pivoted to the lever (E) at o, and serves as a fulcrum for said lever. Thus the lever (E), the rod (C) and the pawl are attached together, and are capable of being moved up and down the stock (A) as far as the slot in the ratchetplate (D) will admit.

This instrument is used for raising the wheel of a Wagon or carriage, as follows: It is first placed perpendicularly under the axletree to be raised, with its base upon the ground. The operator then takes hold of the upper end of the lever (E) and draws it upward until the top of the rod (C) strikes against the bottom of the axletree. The foot of the pawl (F), being held in from a perpendicular to the point of suspension, falls in the notches over the teeth (d) by its own gravity, and consequently holds the lever firmly at the height to which it has been raised. The upper end of the lever (E) is then pressed down in the position represented by the dotted lines (Fig. 2,) which throws the top of the pawl (F) inward, and forces the rod (C) upward suhciently high to raise the aXletree and wheel of the vehicle to the height required. In this position the pin (b) stands under the pin (a), and a little beyond a direct line from the pin (a) to the foot of the pawl (F); consequently the weight on the rod (C) will have no tendency to raise the lever,-in which position it will remain until raised by the operator. There is a projection (c) on each side of the lever (E) which strikes against the plate (D) and prevents said lever from pressing down farther than is necessary.

When it is necessary to lower the rod (C) to the lowest point, the instrument may be canted over until the pawl (F) will hang clear of the teeth (d). When the rod (C) is down to its lowest point, the lever lies back partly into the slot in plate D, (Fig. 1,) and renders the instrument very compact.

The stock (A), base (B) and rod (C) are made of wood, and the lever (E), pawl (F) and ratchet plate (D) are of cast iron.

This jack is so constructed and arranged as to be extremely light and portable for the strength, three and one half pounds being the entire weight of one capable of raising eight hundred pounds.

I claiml. The combination and arrangement of the lever (E), pawl (F), ratchet-plate (D), rod (C) and stock (A), substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. The pawl (F) when used for the double purpose of a pawl on the ratchet-plate (D) and a fulcrum for the lever (E), as, and for the purpose vherein described.

CHAS. DOUGLAS.

Witnesses:

MARSHALL PERTER, CHs. G. BUELL. 

